The hallway outside Rafael Navarro's room had become strangely familiar but because of how much memories that the room oddly held and for the amount of tears that has touched the floor each time she left his room. Today was different though, she came for something else, for a request and not the usual.
Isabella stopped some feet away from his door, her hand trembling unsure of what the outcome would be if he eventually summoned the courage to knock.
This was a mistake.
She should turn around.
She had no right to ask him for anything. Her mind told her lots of things to dissuade her from knocking.
He had already given her more kindness in the past two days than she ever expected from him. A book. An actual conversation even though it didn't last long. An apology for almost killing her even though he didn't necessarily say the magic words. The El Diablo she has always heard of her entire life doesn't spare a second glance.
"What if she ruined it?, what if he became angry again?" She thought.
The memory of his hand around her throat flashed across her mind.
She instinctively rubbed her neck.
"No," she whispered to herself. She had come this far.
She couldn't lose her courage now.
Taking a deep breath, Isabella lifted her hand and knocked.
Once and Softly.
She waited.
Nothing happend, no response.
Perhaps he wasn't inside but then again, she had seen him leave the dining room.
Perhaps she should just leave.
She turned her back ready to retreat, when his deep voice came through the door.
"Come in."
Her heart almost jumped out.
She hesitated for only a second before carefully pushing the door open.
Rafael sat behind the desk, reading through several reports.
He didn't acknowledge her immediately. His attention remained fixed on the papers before him.
The only sound heard was the quiet scratch of his pen asides that, it was just pitch silence coupled with the dim lighting.
Isabella stood awkwardly near the entrance, unsure whether to move farther inside.
Several long seconds passed.
Then Rafael finally lifted his eyes. His expression remained unreadable.
"I didn't call for you." His voice was calm. "What's the matter?"
Isabella instinctively straightened."I know."
His eyebrow dipped in trying to gather courage to speak.
"I know you didn't call me," she repeated softly. "I... I came because I wanted to ask you something."
He leaned back in his chair. "What?" This single word he asked made her mouth suddenly dry.
She had rehearsed this conversation all morning. Now every sentence had disappeared.
Rafael watched her struggle. His patience was about to wear off.
"If you're going to speak," he said, his tone firm, "then speak."
She flinched slightly. "I..."
Her fingers twisted together. "I was wondering if..."
She stopped again. Rafael sighed quietly. "Isabella.... I'm working."
He simply made it clear. She was wasting his time.
"I'm sorry." The words escaped from her immediately. "I didn't mean to interrupt."She turned slightly, intending to leave.
"Wait."
She froze.
Without looking away from the document in front of him, Rafael spoke again.
"You came all this way, you might as well say what you have in mind."
Isabella turned to face him again as she swallowed. "I wanted to ask if..."
She gathered what little courage she had left.
"...if I could see my father."
There was complete silence almost like he didn't hear her or he just chose to ignore her.
After a moment,, Rafael lowered the document onto the desk. Their eyes met.
"No." The answer came immediately, cold and definitive.
Her heart sank. She had expected some ray of hope.
She just hadn't expected it to hurt quite so much.
"Please." She begged.
"No." He answered.
"I just want to know if he's alright."
"I said no."
Her shoulders dropped as she stared at the floor.
"I haven't seen him since..." Her voice broke. "I only want to know how he's doing, if you're thinking I'd run away, you're wrong, I won't do that"
Rafael remained silent. She expected him to show any kind of emotion at that but this is El Diablo, she would learn to expect less.
She laughed weakly through the emotion threatening to overwhelm her. "I don't know if he thinks I abandoned him."
Rafael's expression never shifted and he didn't utter a single word but he listened.
"He must think..." she whispered trying to fight back her tears. "...that I stopped trying."
El Diablo eyes were glued to his document and laptop like she wasn't there. When she figured he wouldn't say anything, she blurted out some words that surprised even herself.
"I'm supposed to be your wife not a prisoner" She blurted. She quickly wiped her eyes almost embarrassed.
"I'm sorry." She added, turned and started to walk out.
Rafael looked away briefly. Toward the window.
His jaw tightened almost as if he was fighting within himself to give in to her request.
"45 minutes, that's all you get" He said, voice stern.
Isabella stopped on her tracks as she sighed of relief.
"Do as my men say" He said.
She turned to face him. "I won't speak to anyone else."
A step forward. "I'll come straight back." She clasped her hands together. "I just want to see him."
Rafael studied her face. There was nothing but gratitude and fear across her face.
He slowly stood. The movement alone made Isabella instinctively stiffen.
He walked around the desk stopping a few feet in front of her. Close enough that she could see his dark eyes in the dimly lit room.
He looked at her for several moments. Neither of them spoke.
"If they take you...."He said slowly. "You do exactly as they say."
She nodded before he even finished.
"If they tell you to stay in the car, you stay."
She gave another eager nod.
"No questions asked"
"I understand." She muttered.
His gaze remained fixed on her making sure she meant every word.
For the first time since entering the room, hope flickered inside her chest.
Rafael looked away almost as though he were reconsidering the decision even now.
Then he exhaled quietly. "Go." He said walking back to his desk.
She blinked. "What?"
"I have work to finish."
She stared at him. Unsure whether she'd heard correctly.
His eyes returned to the documents waiting on his desk.
Then, without looking at her, he said, "Be ready by 10"
The words echoed inside her mind.
Tomorrow.
She was going to see her father.
A smile spread across her face before she could stop it.
"Thank you." Her voice shook with relief. "Thank you... Rafael." She added.
He didn't answer.
He simply reached for another file.
Isabella lingered for only a second longer before quietly leaving the study.
The door closed behind her. The moment she reached the hallway, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
She couldn't believe it, El Diablo had just said yes to her. Something in her chest fluttered even though she didn't know what it was.